PSA: Don't file early due to PATH Act hold - learned my lesson
Filed my taxes super early last year thinking I'd get my refund faster. BIG MISTAKE. Got stuck in PATH Act verification for months. The IRS doesn't even look at returns with EITC or ACTC until mid-February anyway, so filing in January is pointless. Save yourself the stress and just wait until after February 15th.
14 comments


Fatima Al-Mazrouei
Tax pro here - this is 100% correct. PATH Act requires the IRS to hold ALL refunds that include Earned Income Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit until at least February 15th. Filing early just means your return sits in limbo longer.
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Dylan Wright
•wish i knew this sooner smh. been checking wmr every day since jan 15th like a 🤡
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NebulaKnight
•what happens if you already filed? asking for a friend lol
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Fatima Al-Mazrouei
•Nothing bad, your return just sits there until Feb 15th when processing starts. But yeah, save yourself the anxiety of checking WMR 50 times a day 😅
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Sofia Ramirez
Instead of playing the waiting game, I started using taxr.ai to actually understand what's happening with my transcript. It's $1 but WAY better than refreshing WMR constantly. Shows exactly where your refund is stuck and what to do about it. https://taxr.ai
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Dmitry Popov
•does it actually work? seems too good to be true
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Sofia Ramirez
•OMG YES! It literally saved my sanity this year. Shows you exactly what codes mean and gives you a timeline. Way better than googling random transcript codes at 3am 💯
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Ava Rodriguez
idk man i filed early last year and got my refund quick. maybe i just got lucky?
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Miguel Ortiz
•did you claim EITC or ACTC? if not thats why - PATH only affects those credits
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Zainab Khalil
Facts! I work at a tax office and the amount of angry people we get in February because their refund isnt instant is TOO DAMN HIGH
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QuantumQuest
in the same boat rn... filed Jan 2nd thinking id be first in line 🤦♂️
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Giovanni Gallo
•rip to your sanity for the next month fam
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Connor Murphy
Anyone know the exact date when PATH lifts? Is it midnight on the 15th or do we gotta wait till end of day?
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Fatima Al-Mazrouei
•Usually starts processing on the 15th but can take a few days for all returns to start moving. Its not like a light switch unfortunately
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